Witbeck, William A., House
Why it's listed
Set among rolling farmland on County Route 26A in Stuyvesant, Columbia County, this one-and-one-half story frame house dates to about 1812 and is believed to have been built by William A. Witbeck around the time of his marriage. Its five-by-two bay form, clapboard walls, gable roof, and center entrance with sidelights reflect the transitional Dutch and English Federal style of the post-Revolutionary Hudson Valley. Inside, a center hall divides two large rooms, and early features survive, including heavy ceiling beams, knee braces, a Rumford-type fireplace, and a cellar kitchen hearth. Greek Revival moldings and mantels, added when the farm prospered in the mid-nineteenth century, and a lean-to likely added by the 1860s changed the house without altering its basic form. Later work in the 1920s and 1986-87 added rooms, and a modern garage stands to the north. The house was listed for its architecture and its unusual integrity as a regional house type, and a published study of Dutch building culture cites it as an example.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be a highly intact example of early nineteenth century transitional Dutch/Federal domestic architecture in the region. It keeps typical features such as a center entrance with sidelights, a single-pile plan and early interior details. It was cited and illustrated by Roderic Blackburn as an example of its type, and it remains an important local landmark.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 94001371, listed December 12, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Co. Rd. 26A, E of jct. with Gibbons Rd., Stuyvesant |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia County |
| Listed | December 12, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94001371 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1812 - ca. 1860 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal (transitional Dutch/English Federal) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; a modern garage on the property is non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.38837, -73.75927 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 94001371.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8004085
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.